Water-closet.



N0. 65I,049. Patented June 5, I900. S. W. LEWIS.

WATER CLOSET.

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1899.)

(N0 Mode l.) 3 Sheets-Sheet k 2'4 it} I INVENT Fg No. 65!,049. PatentedJune 5, I900.

S. W. LEWIS.

WATER CLOSET.

(Application filed Apr. 3 1699.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

age

Fig.2-

WITNESSES VENTDR (No Model.)

s. w) LEWIS. WATER CLOSET.

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1899.)

Patented June 5, I900.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WITNEESEEI iAQYM/ l.

INVENTEIR NITED STATES- PATENT .FFICE.

SAMUEL \VALKER LEWIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE E.GILCIIRIST, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

.WATER-CLOSETL SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 651,049,dated June 5, 1 900.

Application filed April 3, 1899. Serial No. 711,513. (No model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WALKER LEWIS, residing in the city of NewYork, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Closets, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad tothe accompanying V drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, inexplaining its nature.

The invention relates to the class of waterclosets operated bydirect-supply valves located at or near the closet, and,sometimes termedor known as the fiushometer system; and'it comprises means whereby thevalve of such a system is adapted to be operated by the seat of thecloset either to provide automatically an afterflow, a forewash, orboth. I

I will now describe the invention at length in connection with thedrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a closethaving the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in plan thereof.Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the same, a portion of thecasings or covers of apart of the operative mechanism being shown invertical section. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the devicesproviding the forewash. Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation, reduced insize, of the complete closet, also showing the full or complete casingsor covers represented in section in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail view inplan showing a means for adjusting the valvelever, reference to which ishereinafter made.

In practicing the invention any form of bowl may be used and any type ofdirectsupply or slow-closing valve of the flushometer character. Theseat may also be made movable in any desired way.

In the drawings, A represents the bowl of the'closet, and B the movableseatthereof, the two positions of which are shown in full and dottedlines in Fig. 1. i

O is the valve-casing of a flushing-valve such, for instance, as thatdescribed in the patent to Kenney, No. 613,802, dated November S, 1898,and known as the Kenney flushonieter.

Heretofore flushing-valves of the fiushometer type have been operatedindependently of the seat and by means of a lever or handle which ismoved by hand, and. such lover or handle has been pivoted to aprojection extending forward from the water-supply. pipe in which thevalve is and -connected with the valve by a rearward rock-leverextension. This arrangement of the valveoperating means is notcalculated to afford a desirable connection with a movable seat, and asa part of my invention, although not an essential part, I have arrangedthe lever operating the valve so that instead of moving upon an areparallel with the longitudinal axis of the cover and bowl it moves uponan are at right angles to said axis and preferablybehind thesupply-valve. .The lever when so arranged provides opportunity for adesirable connection with the seat.

D represents the lever. (See Fig. 3.) It is extension 01 an arm 01, (seeFig. 3,) which is connected with the valve-spindle d of the valve 0. Ifthe closet has an afterflow only,

' thelever extends in but one direction from its pivotal point, and thisextension is lettered d If the closet has a forewash also, the leverextends in the opposite direction from its pivot, and this extension islettered cl. The devices connecting the lever with the seat for both theafterwash and the forewash are substantially the same in principle, withthis exception, that one is practically a reversal of the other. Thesedevices will shortly be described at length.

The seat- B is represented as pivoted to a support I) at I), (see Figs.1 and 2,) and it may go be turned back upon said support to be entirelyindependent of the means which connect it with the valve-lever-operatingdevices. There is also pivoted upon the support I) a lever E, which hasa short arm 6 extending 5 under the seat and one or more long arms 6 6(see Fig. 2) extending backward and bearing at their rear endsoverbalancing-weights 6 which serve to lift the seat through the leverto the position represented by dotted outline in Fig. 1 and to hold itin such position. Whether the lever has one or two arms de pends uponwhether the closet has an afterfiow and a forewash. I have shown it ashav ing both. The afterflow-lever e is represented as combinable withthe arm d of the valve-lever D, and the forewash-lever c is shown ascombinable with the arm (1" of the said valve-lever by the automaticengaging and disengaging devices, which are alike in principle and eachof which involves the automatic engagement of the lever by a meansconnected with the seat and moved by it and also the automaticdisengagement of the means from the lever, whereby the lever is freefrom restraint and the valve permitted to automatically close in itscustomary way. I will first describe the connection between theafterflow-lever e and the valve-lever arm 61 This connection isrepresented in side elevation in Fig. l, in front elevation in Fi 3, andin plan in Fig. 2. It comprises atripping lever or slide, the principalmovement of which is vertical, but which also has in addition automatichorizontal or lateral movements by which it engages and disengages thevalve-lever arm (1 Its vertical'movements are imparted to it by thecloset-seat and the afterwash-arm with which it is connected,preferablyadjustably atits lower end. This tripping lever or slide is lettered F.It is represented as having in its lower end a line of pin-holes f,through one of which a pin f, passing through one of the horizontallines of pin-holes e in the bifurcated ends of the arm 2, extends. Thetripping lever or slide is held and guided by stationary guides f (SeeFig.1.) Theseguidesareattached to the wall or any stationary support,and their recesses are of a width and length to permit the necessaryvertical and horizontal movements of the trippinglever or slide. Thetripping lever or slide also has in its forward edge f a recess f whichis slightly wider than the width of the valve-lever arm (1 and itfurther has an overbalancing-weight f, by means of which itconstantly-tends to move forward toward the valve-lever arm and towardthe outer ends of the guides f f The front edge of the trippinglever orslide is thus held against the valvelever arm throughout its verticalmovement.

To understand the operation of the lever and valve, it must be borne inmind that the valve self closes when the leverD is released fromrestraint. Itmustalso be borne in mind that an after-flow is occasionedby the upward movement of the closet-seat. Normally or when the closetis not in use the seat and tripping lever or slide bear the relation toeach other and to the valve-lever arm d represented by dotted lines inFig. 1. There is then no engagement between the valve-lever and theseat, the engaging recess or notch f of the trip-lever beingconsiderably below the horizontal position of the valve-lever arm. Uponthe downward movement of the closet-seat the tripping lever or slide ismoved upward until the recess or notch f closes upon the valve-lever armd and the parts then occupy the position represented by full lines inFig. 1 and are then in such engagement that upon the release and upwardmovement of the closet-seat the supply-valve is caused to beautomatically opened and Water permitted to flow to the bowl. Thisresults because the overbalancing-weights e attached to the arm e'or tothe arms e 6 if two he used, not only move the seat upward, but also thetripping lever or slide downward, and the downward movement of the leveror slide also moves downward the valve-lever arm d thus causing thevalve to be opened. As the seat approaches its highest position thetripping lover or slide is caused by its lateral movement produced bythe engagement of its forward edge with the front end of the lower guideand also by the forward draft upon its lower end caused by the movementthereof upon an outward arc to be moved laterally awayf rom thevalvelever arm suflicientl y to become entirely disengaged from it whenthe said arm, being then unrestrained by the tripping or latching lever,will begin to slowly rise and will continue rising until it has reachedits normal horizontal position and the valve is closed, while thetripping lever or slide will also retain its lowermost position or theposition in which it finally disengages from the said valve-lever arm.

To facilitate the disengagementof the lever from the arm and also forthe purpose of regulating the time during which they remain inengagement and therefore the length of the stroke or movement of thevalve-lever arm, which results in varying the quantity of waterdelivered by the valve, I have formed the edge f of the tripping leveror slide below the engaging recess f inclined inwardly from a straightperpendicular edge. This alone, in connection with the forward end ofthe lower guide, which is, in effect, a fulcrum, tends to assist in thedisengagement of the lever from the valve-arm. If, however, the fulcrumbe made horizontally adjustable, the time of the disengagement will bevaried, and in Fig. 1 I have represented the forward end of the lowerguide as having the adjustable fulcrum f which is the end of a screwscrewing through the outer end of the guide, the said outer end of theguide having a threaded hole for the reception of the screw and outerend of the screw having means by which it may be turned to adjust itsinner end or fulcrum horizontally in the guideway.

I prefer that the valve-lever I) be adjustably secured to its shaft inorder that it may be in the first instance properly set with respect tothe tripping-lever, and also that its angle may be slightly varied atany subsequent time. A means for accomplishing this is represented inFig. 6, where the shaft is represented as having fixed to it a member gof an adjusting device, which has laterallyextending teeth g, and thevalve-lever is also represented as having secured to it a like member ghaving teeth 9 which are adapted to interchangeably engage the teethofthe member 9. The lever is free to turn upon the end of the shaft, andthe engagement with the shaft is by means of the teeth of the two partsg 9 Consequently the lever D may be moved laterally upon the shaftsufficiently to disengage its member from the shaft member and then beturned to any desired position and replaced and engagement with thelever in a new position be effected. The range of the adjustment willvary according to the size and number of the teeth.

I will now describe the connection between the closet-seat and thesupply-valve for the purpose of providing the bowl with a forewash. Thisconnection is best represented in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.. The supply-valveis thenjoperated by the downward movement of the seat B. This causes theforewash-arm e to be moved upward, and it is combined with theforewash-arm d of the valve-lever D by the tripping or latch lever orslide H, which, as I have already intimated, is in principle ofoperation like the trip-lever F. It differs, however, in shape and intime of operation, and it serves to open the valve by an upward movementand is automatically disengaged from the forewash-arm of thevalve-leverat or before the end of its upward movement. Consequentlynormally it is in its lowest position, but in engaged relation with thesaid forewash-arm d Such relation with the said arm is represented bydotted outline in Fig. 4. The relation whichit bears to said arm at thetime of its disengagement is represented by the full lines of Fig. 4.The trip-lever H is preferably adj ustably connected with the end of thearm 6 by a pin and pin-holes in the manner in which the afterflowtrippinglever is connected with its operating-arm. It has theoverbalance h at its upper end, which constantly tends to move itforward and hold its forward edge h in contact with the fulcrum h andthe inner side of the forewasharm d of the valve-lever. It is heldupright by a single fixed guide 7L2, in which it has lateral andvertical movement and which supports the fulcrum h, preferablyadjustable, as is the fulcrum of the afterliow-lever above described.The outer edge h of the trippinglever is outwardly curved or inclinedfrom the shoulder or latch 7L3 to the point if and the latch-lever hassufficient movement to bring the shoulder or latch 71. below and underthe arm (2" when in its lowest position and the seat is in its highestposition. Upon the downward movement of the seat the latch-lever-ismoved upward, moving with it the forewash-arm d of the valve-lever, andthereby causing the valve to be opened. \Vhen, however, the closet-seatis approaching its lowest position, the upper end of the saidtripping-lever is moved inwardly laterally by the combined operation ofits incline and the fulcrum h and of thebackward draft upon its lowerend sufficiently to withdraw, the shoulder or latch h from beneath thearm (1 thereby relieving the valve-lever from restraint and permittingthe valve to immedi-v ately begin its closing movement. Thetripping-lever occupies this highest position released from thevalve-arm until the closetseat isreleased and permitted to move upward,when the tripping-lever'is moved downward and automatic engagement withthe valve-arm again effected, in readiness for the next operation or useof the closet. The foreflow and afterflow mechanisms may be usedtogether or separate, and when used together the operation of one willnot prejudice or affect the operation of the other, as they operate attwo different periods, and while it is true that the afterflow-arm d ofthe valvelever is moved downward during the opening of the supply-valvefor the foreflow it is not by such act brought into operative relationwith its tripping-lever F, which then occupies its lowest and disengagedrelation with respect to said arm, and likewise uponthe downwardmovement of the arm 01 in the at terwash the forewash-arm d isdisengaged from its tripping-lever H, but is returned to.

operative engagement therewith upon the release of the afterwash-arm dand the closing of the supply-valve. r

I prefer that the two tripping-levers and their guides, adjustingdevices, and arm ends be inclosed in coverings or casings, and I have sorepresented them in Figs. 2, 3, 4E, and 5 of the drawings, said casingsbeing lettered, re

spectively, K K. They are of a size to receive andhold the said levers,and they are provided with slots through which the ends of thevalve-lever arms and of the arms 6' 6 may extend into the cavities orchambers which they form. They serve not only to provide an ornamentalcovering to these parts,

but they also prevent tampering withthem. and protect the clothing ofthe user of the closet from contact therewith and also enable a cheaper,because less finished, construction to be used than if exposed. I

Where the fore and after flows are both used, I prefer that the arms e ebe constructed so that there shall be an unobstructed opening betweenthem, whereby they may be located'on each side of the supply-valve afterthe supply-pipes and flushing-valves have been installed.

I do not, of course, confine myself to the specific form of tripping orlatching lever, slide, or connection herein described, but

may use in lieu thereof any mechanical equiv-;-

alent. Neither do I limit myself to the type of flushometer-valvereferred to, as any similar valve having a self-closing valve may beused. Neither do I confine myself to the form of closet or to the kindof moving seat shown. v

The flushing-valve audits actuating devices are represented in thedrawings as 10-, cated in frontof the room-wall but of course IIO theymay be located upon the back or rear side of it as well, in which casethe wall would have the necessary holes or slots for the passage of thelevers and pipe.

A cushion or butter L,-located so as to cushion or check the downwardmovement of the lever E to prevent jar and stress of the parts, may beused, and such a buffer is represented in Fig. 1.

I would say that the under side of the notch or recess f 5 in thetripping-lever F is inclined in order that the arm 61 of the valve-levermay pass the opening to said notch or recess in the tripping-lever as itis moved downward during the forewash and while the arm 01 of the leveris being pushed up, it being understood that during this upward movementof the forewash-arm d the forewash-arm d is moving downward and at thesame time the tripping-lever F is being moved upward.

I have shown the overbalancing-weight as located at the upper end of thetripping-levers. I would say, however, that I do not confine myself tothis location, as they may be at the lower end or in any other positionto accomplish their purpose. I would further say that any equivalent forsuch overbalanclug-weight, such as springs, may be used.

It should be understood that this invention is an improvement upon thatclass of waterclosets or similar receptacles which employ as a portionof the apparatus an automatic slow-closing valve in the directwater-supply pipe located adjacent to the closet and which entirely doesaway with the use of a tank, a submerged valve in or attached to thetank, and devices connecting the closet with the valve in or at thetank.

It should further be understood that this invention is an improvement inthat it provides means whereby the valve is automatically operated bythe user of thecloset to provide both a forewash and an afterwash, andin also that the movable seat of the closet is connected with saidautomatic slow-closing valve by simple and direct-acting connections soorganized and arranged in relation to the seat of the closet and to thebowl of the closet that they do not project in front of the back portionof the seat or materially below the top of the bowl, and therefore donot in any way prevent all portions of the seat and outer surfaces ofthe bowl from being at all times seen and reached for the purposes ofcleanliness, and that therefore the invention complies with the bestsanitaryconditions as now practiced.

the wall to any greater extent than it is ordinarily set.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a water-closet of thecharacter speci' fied the combination of the closet-bowl, a pipe leadingfrom the source of water-supply to the bowl and opening into the bowl,an automatic slow-closing valve located in said pipe adjacent to thebowl and forming the sole meansfor governing the supply of water fed tothe closet, a valve-lever for opening said valve arranged to extend fromsaid pipe and upon each side of its fulcrum to provide two operativesections, a movable seat adapted to be moved by the weight of the userof the closet, intermediate connections between said seat and saidvalve-lever comprising a lever adapted to be automatically movedvertically in one direction by the seat and in the opposite direction bya weight, and having two branches 'or arms extending backwardhorizontally from the seat, vertical trippingslides attached to the saidarms of the lever to be vertically moved thereby, one of which tripping-sl'ides-isadapted upon the downward movement of the movable seatto move said valve-lever by coming in contact with one section thereofto move it in one direction and to then become disengaged therefrom,whereby a preliminary how or wash of water is obtained and the valvethen permitted to slowly close, and also adapted upon the upwardmovement of the seat to be moved to an engaging relation with saidlever, and the other of which tripping-slides is adapted upon thedownward movement of the said seat to be moved to a position to engagethe other section of said lever and upon the upward movement of saidseatis operated 'to move said lever to open the valve-and to then becomedisengaged therefrom, whereby the valve is permitted to slowly close andan after flow or wash of water to the bowl is obtained, as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. The combination in a water-closet of a movable seat hinged at itsrear end to a support, a lever behind the seat extending backward fromthe seat and movable in one direction thereby, weights applied to thelever to move it and the seat in a reverse direction, a water-supplypassage connected with the closet, a self-closing valvein saidsupply-passage, an arm connected with the valve, movable in onedirection to open the valve, a device connecting the inner end of theseatlever and said valve-arm, comprising a lever pivotally attached tothe seat-lever, to be movable vertically thereby, and also to permit itto be swung laterally as it is moved, the said lever having a shoulderto engage the valve-arm and means for moving said lever laterally duringits vertical movement, whereby it may be engaged with said valvearm atone end of its stroke, serves to communicate the movement of theseat-lever thereto during-a stroke and is automatically disengaged fromthe said valve-arm at the end of its operative stroke.

3. The combination in a water-closet of a movable seat hinged at itsrear end to a support, a lever behind the seat extending backward fromthe seat and movable in one direction thereby, a weight applied to thelever to move it and the seat in a reverse direction, a

water supply passage connected with the closet, a self-closing valve insaid supplypassage, an arm connected with the valve movable in onedirection to open the valve and devices connecting the inner end of theseat-lever and the said valve-arm comprising a lever pivotally attachedto the seat-lever to be movable vertically thereby and also to bepermitted to be swung laterally as it is moved, the said lever having ashoulder to engage the valve-arm, means for varying the relation ofthepivot connecting said levers with respect to the ends of said levers,means for moving said shouldered lever laterally during its verticalmovement whereby it may be engaged with the valve-arm at one end of itsstroke, serves to communicate the movement of the seat-lever theretoduring the stroke and is automatically disengaged from said valve-arm atthe end of its stroke and devices between its pivotal end and saidshoulder comprising an inclined surface upon one edge of the lever and abearing-surface against which said inclined surface is adapted to ride,which bearing-surface is horizontally adjustable and whereby the lengthof the time of the engagement between the said should era-nd the saidvalve-arm is made variable, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination in a water-closet of a seat hinged at its rear end toa support, a lever extending backward from said seat and movable in onedirection thereby, means for moving said lever and seat in a reversedirection, a water -.supply passage connected with the closet, aself-closing valve in said supply-passage, a valve-arm connected withsaid valve, movable in one direction to open the same, a lever pivotallyattached to the seat-lever and whereby it may be also swung laterally,having a shoulder to engage the valve-arm, means for guiding said leverand moving it laterally, comprising slotted supports in which the leveris movable, a stationary surface and a gniding-surface on the lever toride thereon and an overbalancingweight to act upon the lever to move itlaterally and to maintain its guiding-surface in contact with the guide.

5. In awater-closet of the character specified the combination of thecloset-bowl,a pipe leading from the source of water-su ppl y to the bowland opening into the bowl,'a movable seat adapted to be moved by theweight of the user of the closet, an automatic slow-closing valvelocated in said pipe adjacent to the bowl forming the sole means forgoverning the water-supply fed to the closet and adapted to be operatedupon the downward move ment of the seat to provide a forewash and uponthe upward movement thereof to pro vide an after-Wash, a lever foropening said valve arranged to extend from said pipe having twooperating-arms, intermediate connections between said seat and saidvalve-lever arms comprising a lever adapted to be automatically moved inone direction by the seat and in the opposite direction by aweightextending backward horizontally from the seat and two verticaltripping-slides attached to the lever to be vertically movable thereby,the first of which is connected with one arm of the valve-lever to movethe same to open the valve upon the downward movement of the seat and tobe then disengaged therefrom, and the second of which is connected withthe other arm of said valve-lever to movethe same to open the valve uponthe release of the weighted lever by the upward movement of the saidseat and to be then automatically disengaged therefrom,the saidtripping-slides and arms of the valve-lever being so organized that thearm of the valve-lever may be moved away from the engaging part of itstripping-slide after the said part has been moved into operativerelation therewith, and by the oppositely-acting tripping-slide, and maybe returned in closing automatically to said engaging position, as andfor the purposes set forth.

SAML. WALKER LEWIS.

In presence of- F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, K. T. BUTLER.

